Another Jim Crow Era Law Falls, No Thanks to Governor Roy Cooper

 Let me say that the North Carolina Legislature has finally done it.  They have over ridden a veto by Governor Roy Cooper and the old Jim Crow era gun law that forced a person to get permission from the local sheriff before buying a hand gun is no more.

Now, some may complain that this makes it easier to purchase a weapon.  And it does in a way.  But stopping to buy a 5 dollar permit from the sheriff before going into a gun shop and going through an even more rigorous step of subjecting oneself to a National Instant Background check (NICS) was redundant.  In this day and age, the sheriff is unlikely to know you from Adam unless you have gotten in trouble, in which case you would be flagged in the NICS. As I say, the stop at the sheriff's office was redundant.  Sheriffs wanted the revenue, such as it was, and who knows, they might get some more information should you commit a crime.

Of course, the Jim Crow era law would still be staining North Carolina if it wasn't for the constant efforts of Grass Roots North Carolina and the leadership of Paul Valone. Valone wrote an article earlier that pointed out that sheriffs across the state typically do not revoke these permits once issued, even if the person to whom it is granted commits a felony. In Mechlanberg County, for example, 38% of gun permits were still in effect even though the grantee of the permit had committed a felony. In other words, the sheriffs' permits were not very effective at keeping guns out of the hands of people who would misuse them.

Valone and the Grass Roots North Carolina have been saying that for at least 20 years.  The Legislature finally listened, no thanks to Roy Cooper.

You can read more of Paul Valone's and the GRNC's exploits here and here.